One of the problems of concern to small boat users or owners of smaller marine vessels such as jet skis or the like, is the parking of the automobile and trailer after the vessel is launched. This problem has become even more acute as the popularity of small boat ownership has increased and available parking space has not kept up with the demand. Further, there are many launching sites which do not even provide any parking facilities.
Some of the small boat users are forced to transport the small boat atop their automobile. This involves, of course, using some type of carry-all on top of the automobile to protect the finish of the automobile. The vast majority however, use trailers to transport their marine vessel.
Even where adequate facilities are provided for parking the automobile and the trailer, there are many occasions when, after the boat is launched, and the trailer is still attached to the car, the automobile has to be used. In that case, the driver of the automobile has to lug the long trailer around or disconnect the trailer and leave it at the launching site with all the bother and risk that entails.
Trailers for small boats, of course, must be stored during off-season. At that time, the boat may be stored on a rack in a garage, for example, and then it is important to be able to store the trailer in the smallest possible space.
As understood herein, foldable or collapsible boat trailers that have pivotally mounted wheels associated with them result in a larger than necessary space being used when the trailer is folded or collapsed. This may particularly be the case when the wheels are each associated with a wheel protecting flap or “mud guard” which must be spaced from the wheel to allow the wheel to properly rotate.
Accordingly, as understood herein there is a need for a collapsible boat trailer allowing both the carriage of a boat or other marine vessel and still allowing folding or collapsing into a substantially smaller configuration for storage by removing the wheels.